Sugarfoot

Created by Erik Knutson

Frederator Studios 2009

 "SUGARFOOT"
Created by Erik Knutson

SYNOPSIS

Sugarfoot is Napoleon Dynamite in a ten-gallon hat.

The autumn-haired cowpoke is a middle school-aged outcast, who lives his life like it's in
a western movie. Schoolyard bullies are his black-hatted outlaws, buses are stagecoaches,
and high-noon showdowns take place on the four-square courts at recess.

With his country-fried sensibility, Sugarfoot isn’t afraid to be different from the crowd.
He can’t be like every one else, he doesn’t know any better. He’s more interested in
finding an old Loretta Lynn 45 at the antique store or checking out the latest
Brontosaurus display at the museum.

Sugarfoot lives in the town of Exit 39A, named for the exit off the interstate which takes
you into the town.

Exit 39A is a middle America tourist trap town with an oddball assortment of attractions
such as the Museum of Cowboys and Dinosaurs, the world's largest chainsaw sculpture of
a Camelrilla (it's half camel, half gorilla), and a diner shaped like a cow's udder.

Since Exit 39A is a small town, Sugarfoot and the other kids have to make their own fun.
Some kids skateboard, others play video games, but not Sugarfoot. He'd rather practice
his harmonica while listening to old Johnny Cash records, practice rodeo on the
neighbor's pig, or re-enact the "Shoot-out at O.K. Corral" in his bedroom.

So order up a hot chicken-fried steak with a cool bottle of Sarsaparilla, here’s Sugarfoot!

CHARACTERS

SUGARFOOT

Sugarfoot sticks out like a sore thumb. (Heck, he's even shaped like a thumb).

His constant cowboy attire of the big hat, Texas-sized belt buckle, and boots makes him
automatically stand out from “normal” kids. While other kids are skateboarding or
playing video games, Sugarfoot's back at the creek playing his harmonica and digging for
dinosaur bones.

Frederator Studios 2009

Sugarfoot, a loveable loser, is not the smartest kid. He thinks of himself as a master
schemer, but usually his slick solutions just cause more trouble for himself. Sugarfoot
always pays a price for his schemes, like picking a fight with a bully to get him to be his
buddy in the Dinosaur and Cowboy Museum.

Sugarfoot's enthusiasm can be his most endearing quality as well as his biggest
drawback. When he's excited about doing something, Sugarfoot will attack the situation
whole-heartedly. He also tends to get tunnel-vision, which leads to problems, which leads
to frustration, which leads to bigger problems. Bad for Sugarfoot, good for hilarity.

BUTTERFACE

Butterface is Sugarfoot’s best and only true friend. She’s the June Carter to Sugarfoot’s
Johnny Cash.

With her tall, lanky physique and a big nose, Butterface feels out of place. She’s a bit of a
wallflower, hiding behind her hair as it covers her eyes.

She’s a realist in comparison to the daydreaming and scheming of Sugarfoot. Butterface

tries to talk sense into Sugarfoot when she thinks his plans are too far out there. She also
knows sometimes he’s going to do it anyway and let’s him fall on his face.

The duo also play together in a harmonica/washboard group that’s either called
“Sugarbutt” or “Footface” (they haven’t decided yet).

ARVIN

Arvin is Sugarfoot’s self-appointed little bother, er, brother.

Arvin, like Sugarfoot, is an only child. He’s a couple years younger than Sugarfoot and
more naive and wide-eyed to the world as well.

The highly-inquisitive Arvin’s favorite word seems to be “Why?” Arvin wants to know
everything about everything no matter how much his incessant questions make Sugarfoot
angry.

He wants to go wherever Sugarfoot goes. If it’s panning for lost Indian gold with an old
hobo’s sock or trying to hide from Big Dot, Arvin wants to help out. He’s just looking for
someone to idolize and he picked Sugarfoot.

That’s the part that Sugarfoot likes, being someone’s hero. Sugarfoot is reminded of his
younger self with Arvin. He tries pass along his less-than knowledgeable knowledge of
the world to Arvin.

Frederator Studios 2009

MOM

Mom is Sugarfoot’s only parent.

Mom is number one on Sugarfoot’s favorite things, just ahead of cowboys and dinosaurs.

Mom never speaks, she is only ever seen as a foot with a fuzzy slipper basking in the blue
glow of a television set.

When Sugarfoot talks to Mom, we only hear his side of the conversation. Whether he’s
being grounded or asking for a raise on his allowance, Sugarfoot’s reactions are all we
hear and see.

MS. PENELOPE

Ms. Penelope is Sugarfoot’s teacher at Jerry Feliz Middle School.

She’s not so much a teacher as she is a child wrangler these days. Ms. Penelope’s perky
personality is a thin mask over an educator who’s worn down from years on the job..
Constantly saying “Stop that” and “Sit down,” “Don’t put more gum in your hair” can do
that to a person.

Sugarfoot likes to ask for her advice since she’s his teacher. Her responses are usually
short and direct, leaving him to work out his own problems.

SOCKO

Socko is the bully of bullies at Jerry Feliz Middle School.

He’s bigger than any other kid and was possibly held back a couple years (nobody dares
ask). The stone-faced silent what he wants when he wants and takes what he wants as
well.

Socko has a secret side as well. He's a budding artist. Everything he does has his unique
flair of artistic expression. It could be a painting of Socko pummeling Sugarfoot or
pummeling Sugarfoot with a painting.

He can be usually be found in “Bully Cove,” the place where all the school bullies hang
out to “talk shop.”

Sugarfoot, though afraid of Socko, also sees Socko as a kindred spirit; another loner out
of place. Their relationship is like a lion tamer to a lion. No matter how chummy things
could be at that moment, the lion is still a lion.

Frederator Studios 2009

BIRDBEARD

Birdbeard serves as Sugarfoot's mentor and a father figure of sorts.

He's a hobo, who spends his days tending to the flock of birds that live in his beard
including a two-headed Bulgarian parrot. The eccentric and sweet-natured can be found
walking the streets or down in "Hobo Jungle" next to the rail yard.

Sugarfoot sees Birdbeard as a man who controls his own destiny; someone not shackled
by the daily doldrums of life. Therefore, Sugarfoot comes to Birdbeard for advice.
Birdbeard's always more than willing the help out with nonsensical ramblings of riddles
and rhymes that Sugarfoot deciphers into whatever advice he needs.

BIG DOT

Big Dot likes wrasslin’, monster trucks, and fishing with her bare hands. Oh, and she also
likes Sugarfoot.

This sour-pussed, brooding young gal has a crush on Sugarfoot. Big Dot shows her
affection for Sugarfoot with punches that leave heart-shaped bruises, ransom note-styled
love letters, and phone calls that sound like they come from a gravel-throated Mafia
goon. Ah, young love.

ROSELINA

Roselina is Butterface’s best gal pal and therefore a rival to Sugarfoot.

Roselina is a quiet, normal girl, who sticks out because of her orthodontic headgear and
blocky corrective shoes.

The only thing that bothers Roselina is Sugarfoot. She likes to hang around Butterface
and do girly things, but when Sugarfoot’s around, he wants to do things his way.

Roselina and Sugarfoot try to be civil around Butterface because she’s their friend. It
usually starts out calm, but never ends that way.

BOY WIZARD SOCIETY

Ollie and Donovan are the founding and only members of the Exit 39A Boy Wizard
Society, a group founded in admiration of the “Nathan Winklebottom, Boy Wizard” book
series. They always have their official spellbook and speak in their “native” wizard
tongue.

Frederator Studios 2009

Their wizard snobbery has left them outcasts to the regular kids and they don’t care.
They’re boy wizards.

Ollie and Donovan mock Sugarfoot’s cowboy “obsession” as silly and childlike. Not like
their pointing hats and carrying magic wands (excuse me, scepters of wonder).

THE GOODRICHES

Stephen (the big one) and Josh (the little one) are the Goodrich brothers.

The Goodriches live in the nicer area of Exit 39A as opposed to behind the oil derricks
like Sugarfoot.

Stephen wears multiple watches to tell what time to take his different meds. and Josh can
usually be found chewing on his security blanket despite being well beyond the
acceptable age of such an act.

Sugarfoot and Butterface know the Goodriches mainly because they’ve been paid to
attend some of the Goodriches’ extravagant birthday celebrations. It’s a quick 10 dollars
and you get all the cake you can take with you.

STORIES

WASHBORED

After practicing for weeks, Sugarfoot and Butterface are prepared to enter the Exit 39A
Harmonica/Washboard Music Festival’s contest. Sugarfoot breaks Butterface's washboard
while goofing around. When Butterface goes to play it the next day, the washboard
doesn’t sound right. Sugarfoot convinces Butterface that she just doesn’t have the skills
anymore. Sugarfoot’s guilt eats at him and he eventually tells the truth and
apologizes....through a song at the festival. The song is ungodly awful but it’s enough for
Butterface to forgive Sugarfoot. The duo doesn’t earn first, second, or third but a green
ribbon for “Participation.”

“A” FOR EFFORT

Sugarfoot is appointed a group leader for a class project about Vice Presidents of the
United States. Sugarfoot takes a chance and picks Socko to be in his group. Sugarfoot
thinks that Socko's art talent can propel the group to get the coveted A-minus, a grade that
Sugarfoot has never reached. Yet like any artist, Socko must find inspiration to create his
art and his best inspiration comes from bullying. So Sugarfoot has to take a beating to get
his group the grade he desires.

Frederator Studios 2009

LUNCH FOR ONE

Butterface falls ill before lunch and goes home from school. Now Sugarfoot must face
the fact that he’ll have to eat alone at lunch for the first time. After a few failed attempts
at making friends including venturing into Bully Cove, the part of the school where all
the bullies hang out, Sugarfoot finds another loner like himself, who is without his only
lunch pal today, to finish his sandwich with. The next day, Butterface is back and
Sugarfoot and his lunch loner pal share a passing glimpse to their one-time lunch.

DUH-MUH BUMS

That's enough! Sugarfoot decides to run away from home, but before he goes he's going
to need to know what he's doing. Sugarfoot and Butterface head to the Hobo Jungle to
meet Birdbeard, the legendary rail rider. After learning the rigorous and sometimes
disgusting world of the free-roaming hobo, Sugarfoot realizes this life isn’t for him.
When he gets home, Sugarfoot finds Birdbeard collecting twenty dollars from his mom
for scaring Sugarfoot from running away.

CHAIN GANG

Sugarfoot lands himself with a week of detention. To make things worse, Big Dot is in
detention as well. The only way for Sugarfoot to survive life in the ‘hall’ is to buddy-up
to Big Dot. Of course, Dot just wants to be Sugarfoot‘s little buttercup. Sugarfoot’s going
to have to be Big Dot’s beau for the week in order to survive inside. The big problem will
be can he survive after breaking it off with Big Dot when detention’s over?

ARVIN DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE

Sugarfoot is supposed to make sure Arvin gets off at the right stop on the bus. Sugarfoot
deserts Arvin the stop before to grab a T-Rex Choco Bacon Stick. He tells Arvin not to
worry and that if he misses the stop, the bus drive will take him home. When Arvin
doesn't make it home, a manhunt begins and Sugarfoot has to find Arvin before Arvin can
tell anyone blame Sugarfoot. Sugarfoot finds Arvin in the bus parking lot waiting on the
bus to go home. The security dog attacks Sugarfoot and when someone hears the
commotion, the dog is named a town hero for finding Arvin.

Frederator Studios 2009